Report: Woman found dead had threatened to take pills

Published: Friday, June 4, 2010 at 10:57 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, June 4, 2010 at 5:31 p.m.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office has identified the woman whose body was found in the forest near Nuby’s Corner Thursday as Tracy Tooley, 44, of Ocala.

Her brother, William Fordham, reported her missing Monday, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

An autopsy was planned for Friday.

About 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Grandville P. Holly, who had been looking for a place to hunt, reported finding the body in an area off County Road 314 near East State Road 40.

Holly told officials he drove down a dirt road and stopped when he saw a silver pickup. He saw the body, and called out. Not receiving any response, he said he backed up and went to a nearby gas station to call 911.

A clerk at the store was already on the telephone talking to a deputy about a gas drive-off when Holly showed up and asked to use the phone.

Holly told the Star-Banner on Friday that the woman’s upper body was underneath the truck, with the rest of her body outside. He said her pants were around her knees.

Capt. Tommy Bibb, with the Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Bureau, said there was no evidence of sexually activity.

Jenifer Lowe, a spokeswoman for the Sheriff’s Office, said there were no signs of trauma.

Bibb said that to obtain a definite cause of death, they are awaiting a toxicology report and further forensic testing.

Officials had been alerted by Tooley’s family that something might be amiss.

At approximately 7 p.m. Monday, Ocala Police Department Cpl. Drue Hunley had gone to the Oaks Apartments at 1322 S.E. Fort King St. after receiving a call from Fordham, who was concerned about his sister and wanted law enforcement officials to check on her.

Fordham said Tooley called him shortly after 6:30 p.m. that day and told him she was going to take a bunch of pills.

Hunley and Officer Joe Kelly went to her apartment and noticed the windows were open and the front door was unlocked. They called her name and after not receiving a response, entered the home but found no one there.

Fordham arrived and told officers his sister had twice been committed to a mental health facility under the Baker Act and had been depressed over the death of her boyfriend. He also said she might be in financial trouble.

He told them Tooley drove a four-door, 2004 Chevrolet Colorado with a Missouri tag. The truck was at the complex at the time. Tooley’s purse and wallet were in the apartment.

Officers issued a bulletin for area law enforcement agencies to be on the lookout for Tooley.

Bibb said Friday that Tooley’s body was found lying next to the driver’s side of the truck. It is not clear if she returned to the apartment and drove away in the vehicle. Officials are talking with family members and friends to piece together a timeline of events leading up to when her body was discovered.

Investigators found personal effects inside the truck, but did not detail what those items were. Also found were numerous pills and pill bottles, ranging from antibiotics to pain medications.

Fordham told the Star-Banner that his family, originally from Kansas City, Missouri, moved to the Ocala area in the 1970s. He said his sister attended local schools and was a cheerleader and competed in track at Forest High.

He said she had been living in Kansas City with her boyfriend, a firefighter, when he was killed in the line of duty. He said she took his death really hard and came back to Ocala.

He also said she had a back injury in her youth and that pain plagued her constantly.

Fordham said his sister was a caregiver, but had been unemployed.

He said she is survived by two grown children and two grandchildren, a sister, a stepbrother and a stepsister.

Anyone with information about the case can call the Sheriff’s Office at 732-9111 or Crime Stoppers at 368-STOP, or visit www.ocalacrimestoppers.com.

<p>The Marion County Sheriff's Office has identified the woman whose body was found in the forest near Nuby's Corner Thursday as Tracy Tooley, 44, of Ocala.</p><p>Her brother, William Fordham, reported her missing Monday, according to the Sheriff's Office.</p><p>An autopsy was planned for Friday.</p><p>About 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Grandville P. Holly, who had been looking for a place to hunt, reported finding the body in an area off County Road 314 near East State Road 40.</p><p>Holly told officials he drove down a dirt road and stopped when he saw a silver pickup. He saw the body, and called out. Not receiving any response, he said he backed up and went to a nearby gas station to call 911.</p><p>A clerk at the store was already on the telephone talking to a deputy about a gas drive-off when Holly showed up and asked to use the phone.</p><p>Holly told the Star-Banner on Friday that the woman's upper body was underneath the truck, with the rest of her body outside. He said her pants were around her knees.</p><p>Capt. Tommy Bibb, with the Sheriff's Office Special Investigations Bureau, said there was no evidence of sexually activity.</p><p>Jenifer Lowe, a spokeswoman for the Sheriff's Office, said there were no signs of trauma.</p><p>Bibb said that to obtain a definite cause of death, they are awaiting a toxicology report and further forensic testing.</p><p>Officials had been alerted by Tooley's family that something might be amiss.</p><p>At approximately 7 p.m. Monday, Ocala Police Department Cpl. Drue Hunley had gone to the Oaks Apartments at 1322 S.E. Fort King St. after receiving a call from Fordham, who was concerned about his sister and wanted law enforcement officials to check on her.</p><p>Fordham said Tooley called him shortly after 6:30 p.m. that day and told him she was going to take a bunch of pills.</p><p>Hunley and Officer Joe Kelly went to her apartment and noticed the windows were open and the front door was unlocked. They called her name and after not receiving a response, entered the home but found no one there.</p><p>Fordham arrived and told officers his sister had twice been committed to a mental health facility under the Baker Act and had been depressed over the death of her boyfriend. He also said she might be in financial trouble.</p><p>He told them Tooley drove a four-door, 2004 Chevrolet Colorado with a Missouri tag. The truck was at the complex at the time. Tooley's purse and wallet were in the apartment.</p><p>Officers issued a bulletin for area law enforcement agencies to be on the lookout for Tooley.</p><p>Bibb said Friday that Tooley's body was found lying next to the driver's side of the truck. It is not clear if she returned to the apartment and drove away in the vehicle. Officials are talking with family members and friends to piece together a timeline of events leading up to when her body was discovered.</p><p>Investigators found personal effects inside the truck, but did not detail what those items were. Also found were numerous pills and pill bottles, ranging from antibiotics to pain medications.</p><p>Fordham told the Star-Banner that his family, originally from Kansas City, Missouri, moved to the Ocala area in the 1970s. He said his sister attended local schools and was a cheerleader and competed in track at Forest High.</p><p>He said she had been living in Kansas City with her boyfriend, a firefighter, when he was killed in the line of duty. He said she took his death really hard and came back to Ocala.</p><p>He also said she had a back injury in her youth and that pain plagued her constantly.</p><p>Fordham said his sister was a caregiver, but had been unemployed.</p><p>He said she is survived by two grown children and two grandchildren, a sister, a stepbrother and a stepsister.</p><p>Anyone with information about the case can call the Sheriff's Office at 732-9111 or Crime Stoppers at 368-STOP, or visit www.ocalacrimestoppers.com.</p><p><i>Contact Austin L. Miller at 867-4118 or austin.miller@starbanner.com.</i></p>